What a crowd! Flamengo vs Cruzeiro breaks record at Maracanã

Flamengo faces Bahia this Sunday (5), for the 27th round of the Brasileirão, and one of the major concerns for the duel is the state of the Arena Fonte Nova pitch . The topic has already generated recent debates and was commented on again, now by coach Filipe Luís and midfielder Saúl.

Filipe Luís on the pitch for Bahia vs. Flamengo: "It hurts both teams"

ADAPTATION IS THE KEY WORD

After the draw against Cruzeiro , Filipe Luís emphasized that Flamengo is accustomed to different field conditions and that the team is prepared to overcome this challenge: " We are used to playing on different types of grass, different pitches, and even with different balls . The players are adapted and prepared to face Bahia even with the poor pitch and seek victory," said the coach.

In the last match held at Fonte Nova, between Palmeiras and Bahia, Abel Ferreira complained a lot about the conditions of the field , while Rogério Ceni responded, remembering that the problem also hinders the Bahian team, which values ball possession.

Filipe Luís followed the same line and recognized that the situation could harm both sides: “ I don’t know if there has been any improvement since the last game , but as Rogério himself said, it harms both teams,” concluded the coach.

SAUL REINFORCES THE SPEECH

Like the coach, Saúl also emphasized the importance of adaptation. The Spanish midfielder emphasized that Flamengo is ready to change its style of play if necessary in search of a positive result: "We have to adapt: to the pitch, the weather, and whatever comes our way. If we can't play our style, we'll play differently to win," he declared.

DUEL AT FONTE NOVA

Flamengo and Bahia face each other this Sunday (5), at 6:30 pm (Brasília time), at Arena Fonte Nova, with broadcast by Premiere (on pay-per-view) . In the first round, at Maracanã, Rubro-Negro won 1-0, with a goal from Arrascaeta.

After a title-winning stint in Flamengo's youth academy , Felipe Teresa is Palmeiras' newest signing . The 19-year-old forward terminated his contract with Flamengo at the end of September and signed a two-year deal with the São Paulo club, which will retain 80% of his economic rights. This brings the youngster to an end after a week and a half without a team.

REASON FOR LEAVING FLAMENGO

The decision to release Felipe Teresa came from Flamengo itself, which expressed dissatisfaction with the player's behavior . The club, however, did not elaborate on the reasons and simply expressed gratitude for the time the player wore the Sacred Mantle.

In her farewell, Teresa posted a message of gratitude: "Today I end a cycle at Clube de Regatas do Flamengo , the team of my heart and which will always have a special place in my life . Despite the circumstances, I leave with gratitude for having had the opportunity to wear this shirt so heavy and full of history," she wrote.

ACHIEVEMENTS AT THE BASE AND CHANCES AT THE PROFESSIONAL LEVEL

A graduate of Ninho do Urubu, Felipe Teresa has amassed significant achievements. In 2024, he starred in scoring the winning goal in the U-20 Club World Cup against Olympiacos (GRE). He also received opportunities in the professional team under Filipe Luís , scoring against Grêmio in Porto Alegre in the Brasileirão that same year.

NEXT STEPS

Without the striker, Flamengo U-20 returns to the field this Saturday (04), at 10 am (Brasília time), against Madureira , for the Carioca Championship of the category. The duel takes place at Conselheiro Galvão Stadium. The Garotos do Ninho are in third place in the table, while Tricolor Suburbano is 10th in the competition.

After the 0-0 draw with Cruzeiro , this Thursday (2), at Maracanã, Filipe Luís gave a press conference and addressed Samuel Lino's fluctuation . The striker, who started his career at Flamengo on a high and reached the Brazilian National Team, is going through a period of falling performance and was booed when he was substituted.

Filipe Luís on Samuel Lino's sequence of games at Flamengo: "maybe he felt it a bit and that caused his performance to drop"

PHYSICAL ISSUE AND WEAR

The coach acknowledged the drop in performance, but emphasized that the intense sequence of matches took its toll on his physical condition. " Lino had a very tough sequence of matches, very difficult. The Libertadores match was very demanding, and three days later he played against Corinthians , very difficult matches, and I chose to give him that sequence of minutes. Physically, he may have felt it a bit, and that caused his performance to drop," explained Filipe.

REQUEST TO THE FANS

Filipe Luís also made a point of asking for patience and understanding with the striker, reminding him that dribbling players are naturally more vulnerable to mistakes: "It's important that you and the fans understand that dribblers are the ones who lose the ball the most; it's natural in football. Whenever you have Cebolinha, Michael, Lino, or Plata himself , these are players who take risks in one-on-one situations and expose themselves a lot," he stated.

DIFFICULTY AGAINST CRUZEIRO

Regarding the game against Cruzeiro, the coach revealed that the strategy was to exploit Lino's duel against William, but the opponent's double marking limited the striker: " I tried hard to exploit this one-on-one, but Cruzeiro doubled the marking well , always coming two or three, it was not an easy game tactically for him", highlighted the coach.

TOTAL TRUST IN THE ATTACKER

Filipe lamented the boos and emphasized that he encourages Lino's style: " I'm the one who asks him to dribble, to go forward . When he does, he creates a huge advantage. I hope he doesn't get shaken, because it's completely normal. He has my trust and will regain the joy of playing," he concluded.

NEXT CHALLENGE

Samuel Lino will have another chance to redeem himself with the fans when Flamengo returns to the field on Sunday (5), at 6:30 pm (Brasília time), against Bahia , at Arena Fonte Nova, for the 27th round of the Brasileirão. The match will be broadcast by Premiere (pay-per-view).